By Shaistha Banu
My name is Hengameh Ghaderi and I am from Iran. I have been in Australia since 2006. We were initially living in Geelong but moved to Point Cook in 2014. I am married and have two children.
I studied in humanities and got my Master’s degree when I came to Australia. I started studying photography at RMIT University because I have a special interest in art and images. After that, I have been involved in many art projects with Wyndham City Council and other cultural organizations.
I am interested in different things, but the most important part of my interest is the visualization that I do by combining images to make a story. Also, I created a program called Artistic Mind, for women in the Saltwater Community. I do some personal projects as well. The topics I work on are often about art and culture. Traditional food is one of my favourites that has attracted a lot of attention when introduced in communities.
It has been about seven years since I met the Wyndham Women’s Support Group. It the environment is full of peace and friendship. We learn from each other and share about our challenges, achievements, feelings, and a lot more. I can say that it acts like a relative to me. At the same time, I have worked on photography projects for their Kitchen Connections Cookbook, which gave me a lot of experience and fun. I am very happy and grateful to be part of this group.
And if you’d like more information about the group please email wyndwomens.sg18@gmail.com
Barberry Pilaf
It is believed that Pilaf originated in Persia, where it is first mentioned in history. One of the earliest references to Pilaf is in a history of Alexander the Great around 330 BC. It was through the migration of the ancient Persians that it was brought to the Americas.
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice
- ¼ cup barberry
- 4 chicken breasts or drumsticks
- 1 onion
- Vegetable oil
- 25g butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt, black pepper, turmeric and brewed saffron
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Method
- Measure out one cup of rice and pour it into a pot. To rinse the rice, put some water into the pot, and pour it off to remove dirt and husks. Then pour clean water into the pot with salt (as desired) and set aside for one hour.
- To prepare the chicken first combine some turmeric, black pepper and salt with a tablespoon of oil, and rub well onto the pieces of chicken.
- Set the chicken aside for 15 to 30 minutes to absorb the taste of the spices.
- After the chicken is flavoured, put a suitable pan on the heat, add a little oil and heat well.
- Then put the chicken pieces in it. Fry each side of the chicken pieces for seven to ten minutes until they are completely golden, then set aside
- Put the chopped onions into a pan and fry with a little oil until they change colour. After the onions are light and clear, add the spices along with the salt and tomato paste and fry well until the tomato paste is light in colour. Finally put the chicken pieces into the pan.
- Pour one or two cups of boiling water into the pan until the water is about 2 centimetres over the chicken. Add lemon juice and cook for 2 hours until the sauce is thick.
- Ten minutes before turning off the flame, add the brewed saffron to the chicken.
- Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the rice pot and cook until all the water disappears. Then lower the flame and place a lid on the pot. After about 15 minutes the rice will be ready.
- Fry the washed barberry in a little oil or butter on low heat, then add the sugar and brewed saffron, and continue frying until the sugar is caramelized. Be careful: Barberry easily burns and becomes sticky. Fry for about 30 seconds, not more.
- When rice is ready, put two or three spoons of cooked rice in a bowl and pour one or two teaspoons of brewed saffron in it. Set aside as this is for garnishing.
- Finally, serve the rice in a serving dish and garnish the barberry on the rice. When serving, you can serve the chicken with its sauce or separately in a dish.
